The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-27
The Training of Children.

LudS SSctu W aos0 oSSn sAo"AA S'~J'
but it will appear after many days
aWhen I vas little child" said a good
old man, .'my mother used to bid me
kneel down beside her, aud place her
hand upon my head while she prayed.
Ere I was old enough to know her worth
she died, and I was left too much to my
own guidance. Like others, I was in
clined to evil passions, but often felt
myself checked and, as it we're, drawn
back by soft hand upon my head.
When young man I travelled in foreign
lands, and was exposed to ,nany tempta-
tions, but when 1 would have yielded
that same band was upon my head, and
I was saved. II seemed to feel it's pres
sure as in the happy days of my infancy !;
aud sometimes there came with it a voice
in my heart, voice that was obeyed !:
60, do not this wickedness, my son, nor
sin against God.'" With children you
must mix gentleness with frmness. "a
man who is learning to play on trump
ct, and petted child, are two very dis
agreeable companions If a mother
never has headaches, through rebukipg
her little children, she shall have plenty
of heartaches when they grow up.
At the same time, q mother should not
hamper her child with unnecessary,
foolish restrictions. 1t is a great mistake
to fancy that your boy is made Of glass,
and to be always telling him not TO do
this, and not to do that, for fear of his
breaking himself. Ou the principle
never to give pain unless to prevent
greater pain, you should grant every re-
quest which is at all reasonable, and let
him see that your denial of a thing is for
his own good, and not simply to save
trouble; but once having duly settled a
thing, hold to it. Unless a child learns
from the first that his mothers yea is
yea, and her nay nay, it will get into the
habit of whining and endeavoring to
coax her out of her refusal, and her
authority will soon bs gone. Happiness
is the natural condition of every normal
child, and if the small boy or girl has
peculiar faculty for any one thing, it is
for self:entertainment, with certain
granted conditions, of course. One of
these is physical freedom and few rude
and simple playthings. Agreeable occu'
patton is as great necessity for children
as for adults, and beyond this almost
nothing can be contributed TO The real
happiness of child. II try 50 hard to
make my children happy!" said mother
with sigh. one day, in despair at her
efforts. "stop trying" exclaimed a
practical friend at her elbow, and do as q
neigbbor Of mine does" "And how is
that?" she asked, dolefully. "Why, she
simply lets her children grow and de-
velop naturally, only directing their
growth properly. She has always thrown
them, as far as practical, upon their own
resources, taught them to wait upon
themselves, no matter how many servants
she had, and to construct their own play
things. When she returns home from
an absence, they await but one thing,
their mothers kiss. Whatever has been
bought for them is bestowed when the
needed time comes. Nothing exciting is
allowed to then, at night. and they 60 to
bed, and to sleep in wholesome mental
state that iusures restful slumber. They
are taught to love nature, and to feel that
there is nothing arrayed SO finely as the
lily of the field, aud the bees and butter
flies, that there is nothing SO mean as a
lie, nor anything so miserable as disobe-
dience, that it is disgrace to be sick,
and that good health, good teeth, and
good temper come from plain food,
plenty of sleep, and being good" In
order to thrive, children require certain
amount of "letting alone" Supreme
faith in the mother, few toys, no fnery'
plain food, no drugs, and early to bed
are the best things for making them hap
py.-Me Quiver.